Vaccine misinformation, which first began spiraling during the Covid-19 pandemic, has grown in the United States in the years since, according to a new survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

More than 1,500 adults responded to the survey between October 5 – 12 and according to the results, the share of people who viewed vaccines as less safe and effective has increased since April 2021, when the group was first included on a panel for the survey.

Americans are less likely to consider it safe to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), pneumonia and Covid-19 vaccines than they were in April 2021.

While still a small group, people with views about the vaccines causing autism, cancer and illnesses such as the flu or Covid-19 also ticked up.

  • NaibofTabr
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    1 year ago

    No.

    Herd immunity is one of the important goals of a vaccination program. In particular it helps protect people who cannot receive vaccines due to other health issues (e.g. being immunocompromised, having a recent organ transplant, etc).

    Groups of unvaccinated people create a population in which a virus can multiply and mutate, potentially becoming resistant to previously effective vaccines.

    Selfish idiots who refuse vaccination create an entirely preventable health risk to everyone else, especially those who are vulnerable for other reasons. They literally threaten everyone else’s lives. They should be treated as such.